Shrimp Pakora Image Used Under Creative Commons License From youtube.com
Citizens, pakora is a fried snack (fritter) that is originally from India, but is now found across South Asia especially in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Pakoras are created by combining one or two ingredients, such as onion, eggplant, potato, spinach, plantain, paneer, cauliflower, tomato, or chili pepper, fish, or chicken. In the Bengal region of India and Bangladesh, shrimp pakora are extremely popular amongst the 250 million people living there!
Bengal is a divided region compromising Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. Its present-day boundaries were formed during the Partition of British India in 1947, when Hindu-majority West Bengal became a part of India, while Muslim-majority East Bengal became a part of Pakistan and later emerged as the independent country of Bangladesh in 1971.
There is a terrible hostage drama playing out in Bangladesh as I write this, so I hope you will all join me in offering your thoughts, prayers and best wishes for a safe outcome for all the people being held against their will by terrorists who represent the lowest form of cowards on this planet we call home.
This is my version of pakora, well-spiced and delicious fried in corn oil flavored with mustard oil for the special Bengali flavor! I leave the ajwain seeds whole to allow a textural element in the final product.
Battle on – The Generalissimo
Ingredients
- ¾ cup chickpea flour
- ¼ cup rice flour
- 1 cup large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, cut in ½ inch pieces
- ¼ cup minced scallion
- ¾ cup thinly sliced onion
- 1 teaspoon white poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon ajwain seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced
- Water
- Corn Oil mixed with Mustard Oil to taste for deep-frying
Instructions
- Grind poppy seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and chili flakes to a powder after heating all but the chili flakes in a dry hot skillet until fragrant. Mix all the ingredients except oil and add just enough water to make a thick paste.
- Heat the oil in a wok to about 300 to 325 degrees. Using a large spoon, drop 5 to 6 large balls of the paste, about 1 to 2 inches in diameter, into the oil and deep-fry to golden brown over medium heat. This may take 6 to 8 minutes for each batch. Do not fry too many balls at one time, or the oil may become cold and the balls will soak up too much oil.
- Remove fried balls and place on paper towels to drain. Repeat until the entire mixture is finished.
- Serve with Mint Cilantro Chutney.
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